Beneath the Fabric
by Cookie M 2012
Summary: Every scar has a story of how it came to exist. After the battle of Lord Shen, our Masters seem to have picked up one, some with bigger plots when they returned home. But what happens after a brief lecture by their Master, which reveals more stories that a certain comrade has hidden from their friends? *Involve Po and the furious five mainly. Rated T for suggested themes*
1. Chapter 1

**Hope you guys take the time to check out Guidance Ignored, and Flares!**

 **This is another short story! Maybe about 2-3 chapters long :)**

 **Hope you like it.**

* * *

 _ **Beneath the Fabrics  
**_ **By CookieM2012**

 _Chapter One..._

 ** _"Scars prove that what tried to kill you failed."_**

The adrenaline seeped through her body as she flew across the Training Hall. Dashing this way and that, her paws violently colliding with the swinging clubs that once hung over head at a great height. She remembered being a small child, trying the course for the first time, and she could barely touch the clubs that swooshed past her head, giving that breeze that she grew used to crawling along her neck. Now, a strong, built, young woman, Tigress could smash anything that was in her way...

"Tigress! What are you doing here? You should be resting!" She cringed slightly. Maybe anything... but Crane when he sounded _that_ concerned. "Shifu's orders... to us _all."_

Her eyes rolled. "I know, but I've been resting for the past two days," She felt something coming behind her, and she swiftly turned and smashed a swinging club into pieces. She added, while jumping off the station, and reaching for the paw wraps sitting on the table beside Crane."Gotta keep my game up."

As soon as the fabric was beneath her finger tips, Crane's wing covered her paw lightly. _"You,"_ he said with emphasis. "Of _all_ people Tigress, _needs_ to rest and heal. Whether you like it or not. What if Shifu comes through the door? What will he say?" Her mind tried to think what he would say, but to no avail would it be anything as concerned as the avian would put it in the space of ten seconds. "Come on, wrap those paws up, and lets get you something to eat. Po made his noodles again for lunch." That made her ears flicker, and Crane knew he had her there. Tigress, like the rest of them, couldn't resist Po's noodles. Before he came to the Palace, all she ever ate was tofu cubes, and sometimes they would be accompanied with a sliced pepper or two on the side. "Come on, before Shifu finds out where we are."

"Alright." She began to follow him, until her eyes turned to the swinging clubs again. _"After_ another swing or two."

"Tigress..." He didn't have a chance to physically react, and restrain her like he had intended, because she leapt from his reach, and landed on the twisting dragon bodies, her tail changing the level of difficulty as she went past it. She jump this was and that, kicking and pushing each club that came her way, letting the same adrenaline run through her as the chain clanked and rang through the air. Crane watched with folded wings and a worried look on his face, his eyes following her every move, cringing a bit every time her fist collided with the clubs. He continued this until he heard the door opening. "Tigress!" He hissed. She didn't respond, and continued to fight. _Concentrate,_ she kept telling herself. "Tigress!" He ran and turned off the twisting bodies beneath the feline's feet, which she was ready for as she dodged a lower swinging club. "Someone's coming!" She heard him this time, freezing instantly.

"Who?" She asked, but then Crane's wings started flailing in panic, and before she had time to ask what he was doing, a club, hanging low enough to her waist level, for her to swipe with her leg, slammed into her side, and next thing she knew, she was thrown across the room, smacking into the opposite wall. Sticking to the surface like she was glued to it for a split second, she slowly slid off, until she peeled off, and met the ground in a split second, landing on her back first, before rolling over onto her stomach.

"Tigress!" Crane flew over to her, as Po came running in.

"What's going on?" He asked, before he saw Tigress, holding her upper half by the elbows, as she checked her surroundings. She glared at Po, but then shut her eyes when her vision went out of focus.

"Po! Don't scare Crane like that! I thought it was something important!" She snapped as he jogged over. He knelt by her as Crane scanned to see what damage was done, but she slapped them both away. "Push off!" They got up and stepped away slowly, arms raised. "I'm fuh..." She shook her head quickly. "I'm fine. I'm not injured... honestly-" That was when she tried to get up, and something wet, and sticky, slid down her skin... there's only one place where that could be coming from... _no._

"Tigress?" Her eyes slowly shifted to Po, who had his paws on her shoulders, looking at her eyes, as if to be a medical expert, and study them. "You don't look so good... come on," her elbows were stiffening with the uncomfortable feeling, and he lifted her up from the said body parts. "We'll get you to your room and call the healer-"

"No... I'm fuh..." She began leaned forwards, until she lost her balance, and suddenly collapsed in Po's arms. Black spots began to speck in and out of her vision, and that feeling of something wet and sticky, and now a little warm, began seeping through her shirt, and as she began to black out, all she could remember seeing was Crane, in a blurred form, rushing out of the room, as Po picked her up, and chase after him. Her arm jumped about as it swung limply out of the pandas hold. But what made her heart race, was Po's concerned expression as he kept looking down at her as he ran.

* * *

Her stomach felt extremely tight when she opened her eyes. Judging by the white, thin, plaster walls, she was in the medical wing. Silence rained as she felt the sun seep through the the window, directly on her paw. She looked down to see the light on her paw, but noticed she wasn't wearing her usual tunic. Instead, she had a white, plain, cotton shirt on. It was a little bit heavier than her usual attire, but it gave more warmth... "Tigress?" She turned towards the door quickly. The face of Viper, slowly slid through the gap of the door. The serpent inhaled deeply with relief at the sight of the feline, and slithered over quickly as Po and the others came through as well. "How are you feeling sweetie?" She asked, as the others began asking their own questions;

"You feeling hungry?"

"What happened? You scared Crane and Po half to death when you collapsed!"

"She sure did! Don't do that again Tigress!

"Want an extra pillow?"

"Feeling dizzy?"

Tigress' eyes moved around to each of her friend, but when they were being fired at her, she shook her head to get rid of the echos in her head, but only answered to Viper's question. "...fine." She tired to sit up, but Viper stopped her, saying something along the lines of not opening the wound, which made Tigress paused. "Viper I'm fine- wound...? Scared Crane and Po? Collapsed?" Viper nodded as she felt her paws set on her stomach, where she felt something thicker beneath the cotton. "Was... was I attacked?"

"By your own stupidity, if you think of it that way." They turned to Shifu, standing amongst them in silence previously, almost let off like he wasn't ever there in the first place. "I'm not surprised that you don't remember what happened." Tigress looked at him when she turned her head once her head touched the pillow, and Viper slowly turned to him. "Viper, if you please?" The serpent bowed, and backed away, though her eyes never got rid of the look of relief that was dwelling in them. Po and the others looked at one another as Shifu stepped forth, and then stayed put once he was by Tigress' bed side. "Now... so you don't remember _anything?"_ He asked in a tone that made her feel unsure; unsure whether the truth was the right answer or not. "Not even where you were at the time?"

The training hall was the first thing that went into her head, but then came the sinking feeling of the possibility of Crane and Po telling Shifu what happened... or he forced it out of them. "I was-"

"Disobeying an order." The elder Master interrupted.

"But I-"

"Wanted to keep your strength up." He said with a sigh. "As much as I appreciate, I don't want you to get hurt," her ears flicked a bit. "That goes for _all_ my students." _Of course,_ she thought. "You know better than to train on a fresh wound. Your health comes first for now. Especially one that will leave a scar..." Shifu took a chance to breathe as he held the staff tightly. "Haven't your other scars make you think of this?"

"...Others?" Tigress' felt her heart tense. _The others weren't meant to hear that!_ Shifu also turned, and Po, Crane, Mantis, and Monkey were staring right back at him. "Po took a step towards them both, but when Shifu's ears flattened a bit across his head, he stopped swiftly. "What... others?"

"That is not something, for me to say." He turned to Tigress, raising her brow as Po looked up at her worriedly. "That's something for _Tigress_ to talk about."

He began to walk away, she waited until he got to the door to stop him. "Your forgetting that there are old scars that still need to be healed." There was no point in being subtle about it, now the others heard Shifu, who turned his head to her slowly, eyes widening a bit. She wasn't sure whether it meant he was clueless on what she said, or he knew what she was talking about, but she turned her head to the wall, staring at the plain walls and then said softly; "The very ones you left on me." Po and the others didn't move a muscle, while they turned their eyes on the Master, who stared at her coldly... until his eyes softened, along with his face... and then his physical hold as he took his silent leave.

Leaving them all to stare into the opaque.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 **Please review guys! Means a lot to know what you think of it.**

 **I'll try to update asap!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two...  
_

After a few days, and still no communication between Master and student, Tigress was in her room, about to start dressing her wound with a new set of bandages.  
She dropped the soaked cotton into the rubbing alcohol, and gently placed the first layer over the sensitive area. The developing scar was going to be starting from  
the right flank, and stop at the center of her stomach once the stitches come out, but thankfully nothing inside her was damaged severely.

 _"No training for the next two weeks, not even tai chi exercises, nothing but rest, redress the wound three times a day until the stitches are removed, and drink plenty of water to keep hydrated."_ As much as she _hated_ those words, those were the precise words from the healer, who couldn't emphasis them enough... while the others will return to training a week prior. Not that she was envious, it meant she could meditate and catch up on her studies, so she didn't have talk to Master Shifu until, or unless, it was necessary... which she deeply felt was sooner than she hoped.

"Ti?" She sharply turned, pausing after doing the third layer, and saw Viper, her head poked in. "...Can... can we come in?"

She sighed. "Wait a secon would you?" Viper nodded and pulled away, and Tigress made sure her bandage was secured, and shirt was set, and called them in as she cleared up the first aid, and taking out her paw wraps. She was just about to start unraveling the bundle when the others came in simultaneously, quiet, and stiffened as she turned to watch them in the same level of volume. They too eyed her tentatively, and then at each other when she asked what they wanted. "Well?" She asked after they didn't answer the first time. "Something must of happened for you guys to suddenly show up out of nowhere, when for the last few days it was like you were all on low profile."

Mantis shrugged. "Just been busy." He replied casually.

"Yeah," Crane carelessly flipped his right wing from one side to the other. "Just been going about in the Valley, nowhere special." Tigress felt her chest suddenly easing a little, so she went on with her business with a lighter lift on her chest. "And we figured you needed some space..."

"Thanks."

"As for being here now..." Po gulped as he gently scratched the back of his neck. "We've been a little... curious." Her eyes slowly closed with her small, but visible cringe, while her tail was swindling into an almost whirlpool like curl by her leg. Her ears picked up the panda's small inhale, and the short pause that he held his breath in, while the others softened their intakes of air the best they could.

"Why are my past injuries suddenly a subject worth having a conversation over?" Their response was something about individually being lost in thought about it once or twice, before it popped up at the breakfast table before she left the medical wing. She rolled her eyes slowly as she replied; "Whenever it's about me, all I can say is; t hat's unsafe territory, let alone unusual, your wandering into."

"Well sometimes- we like to take the risk." Viper slithered closer bravely. "Tigress... what you said about Shifu leaving scars-"

Tigress sharply turned to face her slithering friend, raising her paws up to the level of her chest, almost like she was stopping someone from attacking her. "They're not physically on my frame if that's where your mind is going." They all sighed with relief. "The ones he left... they're more personal." She frowned at the thought of protecting her Master when she shouldn't be thinking of him. What he said to her, in front of the others, was close to making her blood boil. He said nothing of what went on when she was young after Tai Lung was sent to prison, yet he clearly announced the ones she wasn't willing to share? _As much as I appreciate, I don't want you to get hurt. "That goes for all my students. You know better than to train on a fresh wound. Your health comes first for now. Especially one that will leave a scar... **Haven't your other scars make you think of this?"**_ She never had felt so stuck, in a more uncomfortable position in her life. In a way, he deserved to get the same feeling when she pointed out the very ones he emotionally caused. "The ones I have physically, they were from training... and when I was little, and still in the orphanage..." She swallowed slowly, and used each paw to hold her elbows gently above her new scar. "When they carried out their severe punishments." She watched the others squint their eyes a little, probably to replace the movement of quickly shying away from her. Could they hear the same sound in their heads as she did?

"Can..." Po briefly glanced at Viper sideways, "... can you show us?" All eyes fell on him at the speed of light, and he almost squirmed at the look they gave him. "If your comfortable with it?"

Tigress' pulled her arms tightly against her frame. Preferably she didn't like the idea at all, but the thought of her friends thinking she didn't trust them, or that she was comfortable around them came crawling into her mind, and she disliked that part even more. "Turn around please guys." All but Viper turned around slowly, even covering their eyes while they were at it as Viper slithered over to Tigress' wardrobe by her request, to fish out a certain shirt as she removed the one she had on gently. She eyed the boys like a hawk as she placed the tunic on the bed, and thanked Viper after she passed the shirt to her. She called them to turn around, while Viper was ready to see at the same time as them. Mentally counting to three together, they turned, and stared;

The bandages she had just put on were visible thanks to the shortened tunic she was now wearing. With the same design to her other one, but the only difference was that it stopped a inch or so, before her rib cage ended. In an almost reluctant way, she turned, and they all saw the rest of it. It was like a spiral around her frame, starting from her left flank, and wounding around her while travelling upwards, stopping at the back of her neck like some kind of tattoo. It was mostly covered in fur, and it stretched out with her with time, but by the way her fur was settling, the way it sat, and the way it stood out to them, they knew it was a scar that her fur tried to hide, and was doing a good job... kind of. She then twisted to the left a little, where they saw a vast, ruffled clump as few inches below from the spiraling one, in the center of her back. She brushed the fur back on each one, revealing the fibrous tissue beneath it. Mantis whistled at the site as the others continued to stare. "Well," he said slowly. "There's another one to add to the collection, right?" They looked at him and narrowed their eyes sharply, as Tigress briefly brushed the fur back in place as she turned to look in on their reactions. "What? I was just making an innocent point is all... while trying to lighten the mood."

"Har, har, har," Viper said, stone faced. "Watch how my side splits." Her eyes rolled to Tigress. "How old are these again?

"The one that wounds around," she raised a finger, and rotated it slowly in mid air. "I've had that since I was seven. Back in the orphanage, I can't exactly pinpoint why they did it, but I was punished."

"With a whip?" She nodded, and they all cringed. "How cruel..."

Tigress shrugged a little, wringing her paws slowly. "I was blamed for things in most of the situations in the orphanage... and most of the time I tried to fight back. I eventually snapped at them, resulting in the scar."

"Sick..." Monkey said, but continued to stare at the marks. "Never knew orphanages were so cruel..." He watched her paws tighten their hold on one another. "What about... what about the other one?"

"That one was from me training on the course I do every other day. I was sixteen, before the Furious Five was formed... and I got distracted while I was training, because Shifu was telling me to demonstrate certain moves, as Oogway was there to see my progress... I turned to them to demonstrate the Soaring Eagle Punch, and one of the swinging clubs slammed into my back, spiky side and all." They all inhaled deeply, their faces scrunching dramatically, which she briefly rolled her eyes at. "It turned out that I could've died from the impact, if not, I was scarcely close to breaking my back. I felt fine, but I was out of training for two months. The spikes lightly prickled my back everywhere else, but where my marks are."

Mantis briefly looked at the other, who were still staring at Tigress dumbfounded. "Well..." He chuckled uneasily. "At least this wound has you out of training for two _weeks..._ right?"

This time, they all laughed, but it was short, and tight fitting once they saw the uncomfortable look the feline had on her face, as she folded her arms, as she looked down to the floor slowly, while quickly glancing at them. "I have things to do here... and I'd like to do it privately... you've seen what you were asking about... so you can go." She forced herself to turn away, and walked towards the tunic she had thrown carelessly on her bed. They watched her straighten her posture, and noticed how her scars were more clear when her muscles tensed, and they all bit down on their lips as they shared a surreptitious glance between one another, as they respected their friends wish and backed out of the room. By the time they all stumbled out of the room, Po held onto the slides on either side of him, as he watch Tigress, stuck in her stance after she had her shirt in her paws. He couldn't see her face, but he saw her thumbs slowly caressing the pattern on the fabric, as if it had some kind of 3D effect, and slowly shut the door as her grip tightened around the very fabric that covered her cicatrices. Her personal stories...

Her secret chronicles.

* * *

 _ **Sorry for the long wait you guys! Hope you like it and I'll update asap!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three..._

That night, Shifu decided to show up and join them for dinner, after being on low profile, as Tigress quoted what she felt was the actions of the others earlier on. They welcomed their Master to sit as Po stirred the noodle soup in total silence, staring down a the watery broth blankly as his mind in was in a different world of their own. The slippery noodles swirled around at every action the wooden spoon made, until they were swimming in the same direction as one other.

"I see Tigress hasn't really left her room..." Shifu's voice crawled into his ears, snapping him into focus immediately. Po twitched his head just enough to see their Master looking at the empty chair. Shifu sat a the head of the table, ears slowly level with the shape of his head. His chair facing Po's direction. "Or she's not joining us for dinner tonight."

"She's following the healers orders Master." Viper's voice took over as he twisted his head to watch the conversation behind him. While the elder Red Panda's eyes were on the serpent beside him, who was taking pauses to have a dainty sip on her cup of tea through her words, as Mantis, Monkey, whom shared a vaguely similar look he had, and Crane, watching Viper and Shifu with a slight perplexed look, ready to speak when he was needed of assistance. "She's resting in her room."

"And I'm sure she left to get food when she needed it..." Crane said.

"You mean none of you have seen her leave her room?" Shifu's chopstick tightened in his grasp. "And there is a small chance she hasn't eaten for the past few days? With the condition she's in?"

"We've been going to the village... on patrol." Monkey replied in slow, and almost stuttered defense, when Shifu turns to him sharply. "While just walking around. Passing the time until we get back to training, you know?"

"Besides, this is Tigress we're talking about Master." Viper straightened up calmly, ignoring his slightly agitated look. "She's done these fasting spells before..."

"Not when she was _injured._ " Shifu free paw raised to lightly pinch the bridge of his nose, bowing his head, and closing his eyes. "I feel I am the cause of her not eating right now." He sighed as they all merely glanced at one another, while Po took the pot off the heat. "I was too harsh... practically forcing something onto her... I assume she showed you?"

"Yes..." Po responded for the first time. He took the wooden spoon out of the pot, and wiped his paws in a towel near-by. "And explained how she got them..."

"I should go and apologize." Shifu went to stand, but Viper stopped him, saying that Tigress needed her space, and that he should leave it until tomorrow. "Alright... your right... Po? Can you bring Tigress down some food?" Po nodded while dishing out the food, and Crane took out tofu cubes and passed them too him. "And maybe... sit with her for a while?" Po smiled, taking the last to bowls, and tofu cubes, and began to withdraw from the conversation that blossomed between the others.

* * *

She twisted her upper body this way and that slowly, taking in every detail that there was on her body. Her longer tunic sat motionless on the floor beside her feet, as she was still clothed in the one she wore showing Po and the others her marks. The very ones that have been on her frame for as long as she could remember, and this she had realized only over a recent period of precious, clouded time, _still_ haven't sat comfortably... especially when it came to being in the bath house with the others... mainly with Viper, as she was the only other female inhabiting the Jade Palace whom she had to share the wash rooms with. Thankfully the serpent was more of a bath-lover than one for showers.

As a tentative paw slowly placed itself on the bandages, before she slowly turned, balletic almost, she took a gander at the older ones. The lashing sound of leather, and the one of metal clattering, and of bones crunching, went out of her mind as quickly as it came, but it was loud enough for her to shut her eyes as she reeled her paw back from her flank, shutting her eyes as she took a big step away from the mirror, fists forming. She felt her breathing become shallow, even when her suddenly tensed muscles convinced her mind that everything was perfect otherwise. The very thought of her 'body art' as a topic in conversation to the others almost sickened her as she slowly twitched her head to look at the mirror once more. She was a person; _A being regarded as an individual..._ _a creature that was capable of feeling_ , not some lifeless, cold object to be paced and exposed to the eyes of the judgmental world. To be honest, that's all she usually felt for the past while, and now that the others know about these marks made by the past, she felt like her privacy was split into the water that ran from the mouths of her comrades, and soon the villagers will eventually receive and drink in the information...

Round, gentle, and uncomfortable eyes stared back at her ominously. "That shirt suits you." She didn't react dramatically to Po's voice as the doors slid open. She could sense his footsteps when she took another look in the mirror, and wasn't in any mood or motivation to jump away. Besides, there was nothing to hide from him.

"Thanks... need something?"

"No, but _you_ do!" He held the bowls he had in each paw with a small smile. "Wasn't sure if while we were out if you got somethin' to eat so... Shifu figured you'd be hungry." The smell was strong enough for Tigress' mouth water, if she allowed it, but she nodded, and gestured him to come in. "You should be resting." He said. "Master Shifu is in the kitchen with the others having dinner... and he is sorry about what he did." Her eyes cast to the floor in response, and walked to her bed, pushed it towards the wall, where she sat and swung her legs up, resting her head and back against the wall, before returning her gaze on him walking towards her after a single blink, eyes heavy with lack of sleep. Po spotted this as he pulled a stool and sat in front of her without consent, and recommended her to drink this remedy his father used to make with Soya milk and honey, which helped him sleep at night as a cub, as he sat with her awhile.

"It's not that I can't sleep on purpose." She suddenly replied through his sentence, speaking for the first time. "It's just trying to get comfortable that is the problem I'm having."

"I getcha." Po laughed as she quietly slurped up some noodles. "The bandages are wrapped so tightly around you it's almost impossible to get comfy while feeling like your being mummified." He ended the ultra long noodle that would[ve, or could've, went on for eternity, swallowed, and then smiled. "But think about it. In a while, you'll be walking around with a new addition to the collection." He started laughing, and Tigress found herself smiling too, but then her eyes turned to her distant reflection in the mirror, where she saw herself and Po, whom was still laughing, while she saw the visual contrast between herself and Po, standing out as bright as anything; his cheeriness at a seemingly innocent joke, and her, just staring silently, with her tranquil gaze slowly fading with her smile, at the sight of the bandages wrapped around her torso. Po's laugh quickly died as he followed where she was looking, placing his bowl down, and grasped one paw over the other. "There... there is nothing to be ashamed of with those scars Tigress." He said, solemnly enough to make her turn to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry that I laughed... but I also see them as stories, or body art. You know... something that means to you." He gestured at her frame. "Have you never thought of that?"

"Of course," she stared down at the soup loosing its steam, and the noodles just sitting there, soaking up the soup whilst looking like they weren't doing anything. She suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. She slowly passed the bowl to Po, who just stared down at it in his cupped paws. "Each of these... _'stories'?_ They have a dark background Po. Something that shouldn't be opened, and should of remained sealed..." She sighed and just turned her head to the wall. "I'm trying to take my mind of these things. I'm just stuck here."

"You can come to the kitchen?" Her fists tightened. "When Shifu isn't there...?"

"Maybe later..." She turned back to him. "If my scars are still a topic in conversation, I would rather not."

"...Not anymore..." Po said as casually as it would surface, and Tigress didn't batter an eyelash. "We can grab some tea when the others go for their showers in the bath house?"

"I need a shower more than a cup of tea... but the bandages and stitches can't get wet..." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, clearly very vexed, and Po felt bad for her... until he had an idea.

"Wait here." Were the words she reopened her eyes to, and watched Po leave with the bowls. She rolled her eyes before returning to the world of black in front of her.

"Not like I plan on going anywhere anyways..." She muttered as she returned to the dark nothingness that greeted her when her eyes secured.

* * *

 ** _Hope you like it everyone!_**

 ** _Please please PLEASE review!  
KFP3 IS OUT IN THE USA TOMORROW/NOW (Finished this at like 9:10 in the evening over here XD) You guys are so lucky! It's out over here in march! I have t wait another 2 months!  
_**

 ** _Hope everyone who is going to see it tomorrow enjoys it! I've been watching tv spots and listening to the soundtrack and I'm dying to go see it! Hope it turns out the way everyone wants it to be!_**

 ** _I hope I can watch it sooner... XD_**

 ** _Ciao!_**

 ** _Reaching out will be updated asap, and after that it'll just be uploads of oneshots XD taking a break from big stories for a while XD maybe until I see the film myself lol XD_**


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4..._

...

The tips of her claws slowly sat on the bridge of her nose. "What are you _doing?_ " She could only ask in this current space of time, as Po dragged a large basin big enough for her to sit in _almost_ comfortably... only the Gods know where he could ever get it, but _t_ _hen_ he ran out to get a jug and smaller basin for hot water, a towel, and soaps, and then dragged over the dressing screen folded up in the corner of Tigress' room. Tigress sat and watched him throughout the whole time, already gathering what he was doing, but she wasn't expecting him to say he'd offer to help her wash.

"If you want... of course." He said, blushing a little as he set the screening around the large basin. "But this is just so you don't have to bump into anyone... and we both know one in particular."

As much as it made her want to do the same, she politely declined. "I maybe injured, but I can do it myself." She replied, as she tried to stand on her own. "But thank you."

"Okay, I'll sit here in case you need anything..." He parked himself behind the screen, and after she made double sure he was facing the way she was hoping, she then stripped, and washes herself slowly, with a towel around her bandages so it could catch the water instead. She eyed Po's silhouette like a hawk the whole time, freezing instantly when his head turned one way, and growled to make him laugh nervously, and look in the direction he was before, and Po just twiddled his thumbs to watch their movements to stop his eyes from wanting to wandering else where, calling out every once in a while if she needed anything. Each time he was usually answered with a no, but then she asked him to pass her the bottle on her dresser on the other side of the room, which he gladly did so. He used time quickly within hand, making double sure that it was the one she wanted. Slowly turning, the thing that caught his eye was her fur, that was much shinier when she let the water run through it... but moving her paw over it slowly, he could see the uneven patches of fur reveal her scars. The one that spiraled around...

"Did you get it?" She asked. He mumbled a semi-audible response, which she assumed was 'yeah', and she turned sharply, crossing her arms across her chest tightly, latching her paws together in almost a twisted prayer gesture, and watched him walking towards her using his free arm to shield his eyes. She smiled when she watched him trying to make his way towards her, while giving her privacy. He wobbled this way and that, and as much as it was amusing, she didn't want to see him hurt. "Getting warmer..." She said softly, chuckling as he froze, and shifted the rest of the way, until she reached out when he was close enough for her to get the bottle, a towel now sitting against her chest with the assistance of her arm, in case he took his arm away from his face. "There." She quickly turned around and began twist the lid off the bottle. "Now, I'm gonna need another towel... can you get me another one?"

"Sure." And she listened to his footsteps grow more and more soft, and her heart rate began to rest a little. Smiling at little at whatever was wondering inside her head, she peeled the soggy towel off her chest... noticing a small streak of blood on it. Biting the inside of her lip gently, she looked down, and noticed a small patch of her side, including the bandages, was covered in red. Sighing, she looked around, groaning a little when she remembered that the first aid kit away in her dresser...

"Everything alright Ti?" Po asked worriedly upon entering. "I got the towel."

"Thanks... and yes... but I need the first aid kit... to redress the bandage."

"Did it get wet?"

"Unfortunately... I was careless..." Tigress sighed. "... 'cos so did the stitches."

* * *

Po would've probably reacted really badly, but by the threatening glare Tigress had on her face, he tightened his paws around his mouth, while she ordered him to turn around after he passed her another tunic short enough for her to hide her modesty, as well as care to her leaking wound. He turned back around once she of dressed within minutes, and then watched almost sickly, as she wiped away the blood, to tidy and dry the stitches the best she could, and even taking out a needle and some thread to work on it herself, until she realized it life threatening. Through the time of cleaning and redressing the wound, she slowly looked up, not pausing once, thus multitasking. Her fur was still a little damp wet and shiny, but that wasn't important, and even when a cool breeze came through the window she opened after getting dressed, and she started shivering slightly. Po reached out for the spare blanket he brought with him in case she needed it, but his eyes never left the delicate work she was in, even if he didn't look the best. "You alright?" She asked slowly, after picking up the scissors and cutting off the end of the strip.

Swallowing slowly, he nodded. "mmhmm..." he said shakily. "Never better..."

She waited for him to meet her eyes, and her brows knitted together at the pace of the snail. "You sure?" She reached out to him, and he held onto her paw with his free one, and sat with her on the bed.

"Yeah." He smiled reassuringly, and wrapped the blanket around her. "But I should be asking you that..."

She laughed softly. "I'm fine... it's just a wound..." the small smile on her face began to fade into a slightly unruffled facade. "One that will leave something behind... like the rest..."

"Ti..." Po said her pet name with a slight chuckle. "Your missing a lesson. Something that's not in scrolls... but from common sense." She wrapped the blanket tighter around her, watching him stand, and inhale deeply. "I have scars... all from the past, and not just physical." She raised a brow in question, while trying to make sense of it, until he extended his wrist close enough to for her to notice a small splotch of pink, covered carelessly by his black fur. "Most of mine don't have big plots behind them... but they have small stories... this one was a lesson learned." He chuckled. "I burnt myself cooking noodles for the first time on my own... as a teenager." After she gave him a small smile, he showed her other ones; like the one on his head from his first day in the Jade Palace after getting bashed by a swinging club, and one on his finger where he cut himself, accidental/on purpose when he was distracted whilst chopping vegetables... then he shared his darker ones. "I have a wound from the battle with Shen... and probably gotten even worse if it wasn't for you." She watched him drop to one knee, holding onto her paw. "He left a emotional scar too... he massacred every other panda... my biological parents... leaving me the only panda in the world..." She saw a tear rolled down his cheek, and reached out to wipe it away, but his other paw slowly reached up, and held her paw in place. "But as much as it hurts... they made me who I am today." His eyes sparkled as they met hers again. "Tigress, these dark times could have killed you, and still can if you allow them define who you really are... these are lessons and trials you went through. Name them. Go on."

"Alright." She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Swinging club incident."

"Learning a lesson about focus and safety." He replied with a smile as he let go of her paw, that peeled away from his face.

"Whip scars-"

"Serving hard times in life, with your head held high!"

"And battling Shen..."

Po smiled, but his cheeks were going a little red. "Showing yourself as a true hero... getting in the way of a deadly weapon... for the sake of her friend... whom... cares about her... very much." Without warning, he stood, and slowly kissed her on her forehead, and adds to his sentence, as he got to her eye level, and gently held her face close to his with his paws, whispering: "These scars prove that what tried to kill you failed. It shows you the _real_ strength people need to notice..." There was a long pause, before he cleared his throat, and gave his good night wishes, and slowly backed out of the room.

"Goodnight..." She whispered back.

* * *

 _ **Two weeks later...**_

"Glad to feel back in the routine Master," Monkey spoke firstly that morning, on behalf of Po, Viper, Crane, and Mantis.

"Yes..." Shifu looked around the silent hall, where the swinging clubs swayed without the rattling sound it used to greet them with.

"But we are missing Tigress..." Viper pointed out. "... is the two weeks of rest done?"

Crane shrugged. "Should be." His wings opened and closed slowly at his sides, instead of being plastered against his body. "She's never really left her room... but Po has been bring her food." They all eyed Po. "Always... every meal." Po just smiled nervously, but then the doors opened, and someone came walking down the stairs slowly, and in rhythm with their breathing... It was Tigress, wearing a blue tunic, that stopped close to the end of her ribs, patterned with black lotus' with a silver trim. All her old scars were visible, but her newest outshone them all in the mornings light. They smile at her, while Shifu exchanged bows with her.

"I been needing to apologize Tigress." He said. "For acting the immature fool... but I wanted to give you rest."

Tigress looked up at Po slowly, whom merely winked at her. Smiling back at him before looking down at Shifu, she replied. "You are forgiven Master... now," her eyes returned to the rest. "Who's up for some sparring?"

* * *

 _ **And there you go XD**_

 _ **Hope you liked the ending guys! I wanted to get this done today, so I hope it doesn't seem as rushed as I feel it is.**_

 _ **Please leave a review! And Reaching Out will be updated asap! Just with school and everything, it's been difficult to update quicker!**_

 _ **Ciao!**_

 _ **P.S- hope everyone who has seen kfp 3 enjoyed it! I've been told it's amazing!**_


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